Grand Tour of Peru & the Amazon

Itinerary

• Day 1 –Departure

  Begin your journey to Lima, via Bogota.

• Day 2- Arrival in Lima

  After checking in, this afternoon we enjoy a city tour, visiting Lima’s most important colonial sites. You will see the Presidential Palace, the Plaza del Armas, Lima’s central square, surrounded by colonial-era buildings in the central UNESCO listed area of the city. We will also visit the Casa Aliaga one of Lima’s bestknown colonial mansions built by Pizarro for one of his lieutenants in the 16th century.

• Day 3- Arrival in Arequipa

  Transfer straight on to a domestic flight to the beautiful colonial city of Arequipa. The rest of the day is yours to relax.

• Day 4– Arequipa

  Situated at an altitude of 7,660ft, Arequipa is Peru’s second-largest city and a good place to start acclimatising to the higher altitude. Its skyline is dominated by a trio of spectacular volcanoes – in fact many buildings are constructed from volcanic sillar rock, the hue of which gives Arequipa its ‘White City’ moniker. After breakfast we set out on a tour that begins at the Carmen Alto viewpoint, which offers spectacular views of the city. We head through the Yanahuara quarter with its cobbled streets and beautiful mestizo baroque church dating from 1750. We then head downtown to Arequipa’s UNESCO-listed historic centre and pretty Plaza des Armas, which features the 17th century baroque Jesuit church of La Compáñia. We then head across the plaza to the cathedral, a grand piece of colonial architecture. With 12 giant marble columns, a high vaulted ceiling, the cathedral is impressive on its own, but is given further dramatic emphasis when viewed against the backdrop of the three mighty snow-capped volcanoes. We move on to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, founded by the Spanish in 1580 for the nuns of the Order of Saint Catherine of Siena.

• Day 5- Colca

  After breakfast we head north to Colca, site of one of the world’s deepest canyons. As we pass through the Pampa Cañahuas Reserve we see desert landscapes, exotic rock formations and grasslands populated by vicuñas, llamas and Andean deer. We climb even further to over 12,000ft and the Pampa de Toccra, a plain featuring a lake where pink flamingos reside in season. The trip features several jaw-dropping viewpoints, including the Mirador de los Andes at Patapampa – at over 16,000ft above sea level the air here is thin but the view of the volcanoes around Arequipa is simply jaw dropping. In the afternoon we reach Chivay (alt.11,900ft), a small town near Colca Canyon

• Day 6- Colca Canyon

  Today we head to Condor Cross for some magnificent views of the Colca Canyon. Prepare to be amazed, the canyon is more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon and is one of Peru’s most popular sights. This is also where you can get some amazing close-up views of one of the world’s most spectacular birds in flight – the Andean Condor. The Colca Canyon region is one of the last remaining habitats of this endangered giant vulture, which has a wingspan of up to 10ft. At around midday we continue eastwards to Puno on Lake Titicaca, where we stay two nights overlooking the lake. A packed lunch is included today.

• Day 7- Lake Titicaca

  The panorama of Lake Titicaca must be seen to be believed. Reflecting the blue sky above, is a fabulous deep blue expanse of water stretching as far as the eye can see. After breakfast we board our private motor launch and visit the famous floating Uros Islands where the indigenous communities, living much as they always have, construct these islands using many layers of totora reeds. We then visit the island of Taquile, further into the lake and famed for the highest quality knitwear in Peru. It’s very much a typical village, with no roads or electricity, where the Uros people proudly still adhere to their traditional culture and dress. Lunch is included in Taquile.

• Day 8- Cusco

  FThis morning we say goodbye to Lake Titicaca and head northwards to Cusco. We firstly drive through the altiplano, the high-altitude Andean plateau observing small herds of llama, alpaca and the low mud-brick, thatch-roofed houses of the local farmers. As the scenery slips by, we start climbing gradually towards La Raya, at 14,170ft, the highest point on this stunning journey. After our included lunch, we also visit the fascinating church of the Andahuayillas, known as the Sistine Chapel of the America’s due to the high quality of its artwork, arriving in Cusco in the late afternoon.

• Day 9- Cusco

  After breakfast we have a tour of Cusco, one of the most beautiful cities in South America, a heady mixture of traditional colonial architecture interspersed with fascinating Inca remains. Today it is the site of three churches, including the 16th century cathedral, so huge it took 100 years to complete. We then visit the Qorichancha, the Incas’ principle temple to the sun. This was the ‘navel’ of the Inca world, originally covered in sheets of pure gold and contained the Incas’ most sacred object, the golden disc of the sun. Our final Inca site is the extraordinary Sachsayhuaman with three vast megalithic walls, a staggering thousand feet long and with the largest blocks of stone ever found in Inca structures, all moved with no wheels. This was also the site of the final epic four-day last stand of the Inca rebellion. Had the conquistadors lost, the history of South America could have been quite different.

• Day 10- Pisac & Sacred Valley

  The Sacred Valley The Sacred Valley was the empire’s breadbasket, spiritual centre and home to some of its most iconic symbols. Its wide fertile plain, with ancient terraces hugging the valley sides and the imposing peaks of the Andes beyond is truly an awesome sight. Pisac Firstly, we visit Pisac, famous for its dominating fortress and colourful indigenous market. Every kind of local handicraft is available – from vibrant hand-made rugs and ponchos in bright reds and yellows, to local ceramics and high-quality llama and alpaca knitwear. The Temple of Ollantaytambo After an included lunch we visit the massive fortress and temple of Ollantaytambo. Built along a dominant rocky bluff and was the site of a rare Conquistador defeat. You can examine the astonishingly intricate Inca stonework – its beauty and precision unique in the world and all hand-crafted using stone tools. We return by train to the Urumbamba Valley, known as the ‘Sacred Valley of the Incas.

• Day 11- Machu Picchu

  Board the Explorer train from Ollantaytambo for one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys, following the Urubamba River through a narrowing gorge as the landscape shifts from arid scrub to lush rainforest. Below, the river crashes through rapids; above, cliffs rise dramatically. Soon, the Lost City of the Incas—Machu Picchu—emerges, its temples and terraces revealing the site’s mystery, history and astronomical significance.

• Day 12- Amazon

  This morning, fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and travel to the Madre de Dios River for a 25‑minute motorised canoe ride to the lodge. After lunch, take a guided walk along rainforest trails to learn about primary and secondary forest and the ecosystem’s remarkable plant life. At dusk, return to the river by canoe to observe nocturnal wildlife and the southern constellations.

• Day 13- Amazon

  Discover why the Madre de Dios is known as Peru’s biodiversity capital as we travel by motorised canoe across serene oxbow lakes into the Tambopata National Reserve, home to giant river otters, black caiman, paiche, macaws and red howler monkeys. After a buffet lunch at the lodge, explore the canopy walkway, climbing 98‑foot towers and crossing hanging bridges to spot toucans, woodpeckers, monkeys and sloths

• Day 14- Puerto Maldonado

  After breakfast, we take the motorised canoe back to Puerto Maldonado from where we fly to Cusco for one final night.

• Day 15- Lima & return home

  Enjoy a late breakfast before starting your journey home via Lima and Bogota.

• Day 16- Arrive home

  Arrive back home after a truly unforgettable tour.